Portable sink drain diverter

ABSTRACT

A portable sink drain water diverter for residential and commercial use, which is installable into a sink drain, enabling a user to be more efficient by filling a sink with water, without having to be concerned about water overflowing the sink and removing or doing multiple sink plug repositioning while washing. A portable sink water diverter enables people in the household and in commercial environments to wash dishes conveniently and efficiently. Such technique promotes ease of use by eliminating hard scrubbing, reduction of bacterial growth, and removing the source of contamination in and around the sink basin by employing a systematically faster cleaning technique to complete the dishwashing task.

This application is related to and claims priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/690,023, “Portable Sink Water Diverter” (Malaguit,Jr.), filed Jun. 18, 2012; and U.S. Provisional Application No.61/849,709, “Portable Sink Diverter” (Malaguit, Jr.), filed Feb. 1,2013.

FIELD OF USE

The present invention relates to a device, which prevents a sink fromoverflowing while the sink drain is plugged with a device which has anextended drain spout, and more particularly, for a device thatfacilitates dishwashing in an easy-to-follow and systematic mannereither with or without a dishwasher.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Most homes in first-world countries are equipped with dishwashers. Inaddition, heavy-duty dishwashers are available for use commercially(e.g. in hotels, restaurants, hospitals, and rest homes) where a largenumber of dishes must be cleaned and sanitation is the primary concern.Unlike a home dishwasher, commercial dishwashers do not use a dryingcycle and thus are significantly faster than their residentialcounterparts. Washing is conducted with 150-160° F. temperatures andsanitation is achieved by either the use of a booster heater that willprovide the machine 180° F. “final rinse” temperature or through the useof a chemical sanitizer. This distinction labels the machines as either“high-temp” or “low-temp”. Some commercial dishwashers work similar to acommercial car wash, with a pulley system that pulls the rack through asmall chamber (known widely as a “rack conveyor” systems). Single-rackwashers require an operator to push the rack into the washer, close thedoors, start the cycle, and then open the doors to pull out the cleanedrack, possibly through a second opening into an unloading area. They usemuch water, much energy, and oftentimes do a mediocre job of notremoving small crusted-on food residues on soiled dishwares.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,922,733 (Lyon, et al.) discloses a portable sinkover-flow device comprising an elbow duct with the end of the horizontalleg closed off. A bottom opening adjacent that end is adapted toregister with the sink drain, and a resilient stopper pad sealed aroundthe lateral opening, enables the sink to be filled to the level of thevertically disposed leg of the elbow. Telescopic joints in both legs ofthe elbow duct enable positioning of the vertical leg against the sinkwall and adjustment for water depth. Means are provided to anchor thedevice against flotation.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,370,762 (Heil) discloses a portable sink attachmentcomprising a hollow elbow-shaped member having an opening at either end.The opening at the upper end is adapted to receive the hollow extensionprojecting from the bottom of a curved receptacle having a wide mouthand tapering down to this extension. The lower end of the elbow-shapedmember is connected to a sealing member which is provided with a seatand a vertically descending section. The vertically descending sectionfits snugly within the opening of a gasket which is attached to thesealing member, with the gasket resting firmly against the seat providedon the sealing member.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,446,280 (Moore, Jr) discloses a sink attachment having abasin, a drain tube, and a sealing member is disclosed. The sinkattachment provides for simultaneously draining tap water or otherliquids and sealing the sink. The attachment may be relocated withouthaving to remove the sealing member from the sink drain.

Currently, with a weak economy many people are working more than one jobto make ends meet. In addition, there is a dwindling supply of drinkingwater available to a global population now exceeding seven billion. Manynew dishwashers are now equipped with sensors that detect the dirtinessof the water coming off the dishes. When the water is clear enough, thedishwasher knows the dishes are clean. While these dishwashers provide acleaner rack of dishes, much water can be wasted if several cycles arerequired to remove debris from the dishes that has been allowed toharden.

What is needed is a product that improves sink cleanliness, is adaptableand is capable with essentially all conventional sinks, retards thegrowth of bacteria (by dilution or water replenishment), and reducesunwanted food spoilage (exposure to air), and contamination around thesink basin (by small crawling insects and animal vectors). What isneeded is a new technique that will ensure a major reduction ofkitchen-based germs proliferation and also hasten the final dishwashingcleaning process.

What is needed is to provide an alternative to the automatic dishwasherand is compatible with an automatic dishwasher, by an inexpensive andportable device that greatly reduces the time to clean dirty dishes andaids in sanitizing the dishes to eliminate the spread of bacteria.

What is needed is a device that can save each user at least 40 gallonsof water per day, and that will collectively save several hundredmillion dollars or more, and preserve our dwindling supply of drinkingwater.

What is needed is a new technique that will eliminate hard plateresidue-scrubbing, hasten the final dishwashing cleaning process, andensure a major reduction of bacterial proliferation. What is needed is adevice that enables people to wash dishes each day at their conveniencerather than immediately after using the dishes. What is needed is adevice that enables said debris from said dirty dishes to loosen, andeliminate hard scrubbing of plate residues, and reducing unwanted foodspoilage, reducing the growth of bacteria, and contamination around thesink basin.

What is needed is a device that enables people to soak dirty plates andsoftens the food debris remaining on the dishes in the sink basin duringthe day, and removed for fast and easy cleaning later that day orevening, whenever one has the time to do it. What is needed is portablesink drain diverter device, which fits into the drain of a sink, and hasa modular construction with an adjustable tube.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The portable sink drain diverter comprises three main components: a plughousing, accordion, and intake. When the three are assembled into thepreferred embodiment of the present invention, the device is insertedinto the drain of a sink and the intake positioned against the eitherside or any corner of the sink to prevent said sink from over flowingduring use, or when the user leaves the water running. This allows theuser to prefill the sink and then leave, if necessary, and then returnand use the faucet while preventing the sink from overflowing.

This application is ideal for washing dishes as it allows the user toprefill the sink and walk away to do other tasks, while all the while,letting the dishes soak and prevent any food from drying and adhering tosaid plates, making it more difficult to clean said items. This alsoallows the user to use less water when cleaning said items, whichhappened to be soaking in the sink at the same time, while also allowingone to use the faucet without fear of the sink overflowing.

By utilizing the invention in this manner, it is possible for a user toreduce their water consumption, saving money, while also saving time,and in this case, cleaning dishes with food adhered to them. By soakingsaid dirty dishes, the food is prevented from drying and adhering tosaid plates, forcing the user to use more water, and time to clean saiddishes. It is estimated, a person will use approximately 40 gallons lesswater per day.

For a complete understanding of portable sink drain diverter preventiondevice of the present invention, reference is made to the followingsummary of the invention detailed description and accompanying drawingsin which the presently preferred embodiments of the invention are shownby way of example. As the invention may be embodied in many formswithout departing from spirit of essential characteristics thereof, itis expressly understood that the drawings are for purposes ofillustration and description only, and are not intended as a definitionof the limits of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a pair of the first preferred embodiment of the portablesink drain diverters of the present invention, each of the divertersbeing disposed in one of two residential sinks located side-by-side, theportable sink drain diverter comprising a plug housing, attached to anaccordion-like section, and an intake.

FIG. 2A depicts the rear view of the first preferred embodiment of theportable sink drain diverter of FIG. 1 with the accordion sectionexpanded; and FIG. 2B depicts the rear view of the preferred embodimentof the portable sink drain diverter of FIG. 1 with the accordion sectionretracted.

FIG. 3 depicts the front view of the first preferred embodiment of theportable sink drain diverter of FIG. 2A, with the accordion sectionexpanded.

FIG. 4 depicts a pair of the first preferred embodiment of the portablesink drain diverters of FIG. 1, each of the diverters being disposed inone of two residential sinks located side-by-side, with the tworesidential sinks filled with the water level at the level of the waterintake passages and the air intake passages positioned above the waterlevel of the portable sink drain diverters of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5A depicts an exploded view of the first preferred embodiment ofthe portable sink drain diverter of FIG. 2A, detailing the intakeconnected to the plug housing.

FIG. 5B depicts an exploded detail of the plug housing of the portablesink drain diverter of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 5C depicts an exploded detail of the intake of the portable sinkdrain diverter of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 5D depicts an exploded detail of the O-ring of the portable sinkdrain diverter of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 6A depicts a second preferred embodiment of the portable sink draindiverter of the present invention for use in commercial applications.

FIG. 6B depicts an intake extension tube for the commercial portablesink drain diverter of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6C depicts an plug extension tube for the commercial portable sinkdrain diverter of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6D depicts another view of the preferred embodiment of thecommercial portable sink drain diverter of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7 depicts an environmental view of the commercial portable sinkdrain diverter of FIG. 6A positioned in a sink, said commercial portablesink drain diverter positioned in the corner of the sink.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 depicts the portable sink draindiverter of the present invention [10] comprising a plug housing [20],attached to an accordion-like section [30], which is attached to theintake [40]. Upon receipt of the portable sink drain diverter of thepresent invention [10], the user will see the unit disassembled intothree components, the intake [40] (water [42] and air [44]), accordionsection [30], and the plug housing [20] with attached plug housing seal[22].

The plug housing [20] is compatible with essentially all conventionalsinks and provides a seal in the sink drain. The plug housing [20] ispreferably made of a durable polypropylene material. The attached plughousing seal [22] is preferably made of TPE (thermoplastic elastomeric)synthetic rubber, silicone or other material that creates an air orliquid tight flexible seal when the lower end of the plug housing [20]is attached to the plug sealing member [22]. Also, referring to FIG. 5Adepicts to make the present invention [10] air and liquid tight, bothrectangular tube grooves seen in the intake [40] and the plug housing[20] each having a corresponding intake rectangular groove [45] and plughousing rectangular groove [46] to accommodate a sealing O-ring [50].

The accordion section [30] is preferably made of a durable polypropylenematerial that is fatigue resistant to constant bending is flexible. Theaccordion section [30] enables the user to position the device [10]inside of a sink based on need and customized configuration. Theaccordion connection [30] has a pair of ends [31 and 32] speciallydesigned of different length to be reversible. Accordion connector end[31] can be attached to either the plug housing [20] or the intakesection [40]. Similarly, accordion connector end [32] is compatible withboth the plug housing [20] and the intake section [40]. Some sinks havethe drain located in the center of thereof, while other sinks have thedrain located offset from the center thereof. Hence, the accordion-likesection [30] which provides a user with flexibility for establishing theintake level that is compatible with either type of sink.

For purposes of water conservation, it is preferred not to have a sinkfull of water if only a few dishes are soaking. The number of dishessoaking determines the amount of water needed in the sink. For example,if the water level in the sink does not need to be so high, the user mayposition the portable sink drain diverter of the present invention [10]such that water intake passages [42] will lay semi-flat, or somewhatsemi-elevated against the bottom and side wall of the sink. Or, if theuser so chooses, the portable sink drain diverter of the presentinvention [10] may be positioned such that the accordion [30] is bentand resting against the side corner of the sink, with the water intakepassages [42] at its maximum height. Once the orientation has beendecided, the user then turns on the sink faucet at half or minimalsetting, and wets the plug housing seal [22], which will allow easyinsertion into the drain of the sink. Once this is done, the portablesink drain diverter of the present invention [10] is ready to use. Thewater is then turned on and the water level in the sink will only riseuntil it reaches the water intake passages [42], at which point thewater will then be diverted down the accordion section [30] through theplug housing [20] and into the drain, preventing the sink fromoverflowing.

FIG. 2A depicts the rear view of the preferred embodiment of theportable sink drain diverter of the present invention with the flexibleconnector section expanded; and FIG. 2B depicts the rear view of thepreferred embodiment of the portable sink drain diverter of the presentinvention with the flexible connector section compressed. One may alsoadjust the length of the device [10] by reversing around the accordionsection [30] during assembly and inserting the long end [32] onto theplug housing [20] and the intake [40] into the shorter end [31] of theaccordion [30] or vise versa.

FIG. 4 depicts an environmental view of the portable sink drain diverterof the present invention as it would be used in a standard double sink,with the both of the units positioned for maximum water level. Theintake [40] is clearly visible in the right and the left side. By havingmultiple water intake passages [42] and air intake passages [44], it ishighly unlikely that either will become plugged with debris from thesoaking dishes. Also, the air intake passage [44] serves to enhancefluid flow through the residential portable sink drain diverter of thepresent invention [10] much like an open container is needed for drawinga fluid through a straw.

The portable sink drain diverter of the present invention provides thefollowing benefits: it shortens dishwashing without compromisingcleanliness; hard scrubbing of plates and wares are eliminated;dishwashing can be delayed until later in the day or night; unsightlypiles of dirty dishes on top of the counter are eliminated; simple andeasy to use to complete the dishwashing chore; sink plug removal andmultiple repositioning during cleaning is eliminated; large kitchenwares, pots, and pans can be easily cleaned; keeps the rinsing watercleaner than the conventional way of dishwashing; after the dishes arecleaned, sink clean-up is fast and easy; reduces dishwashing anxiety;and saves each user up to one hour of free time for you each day. And,one of the most pronounced benefit of the portable sink drain diverterof the present invention [10] is that it enables a parent to greatlysimplify teaching a child how to properly wash dishes, by reducing themany steps involved into 3 simple steps, and a more manageable way likesoaping, and rinsing the plates (eliminating the step of removing orrepositioning the usual old plug through the gross sink water, multipletimes, and possibly containing sharp objects), and stacking away.

At times, the portable sink drain diverter's accordion section [30] ofthe present invention [10] may become dented and to fix the problem,said component can be compressed and then extended once, or a few times,and if this does not work, the accordion section [30] of the portablesink drain diverter of the present invention [10] may need to be boiledto soften, automatically removing any dents which may affect aestheticand usability of the portable sink drain diverter of the presentinvention [10]. Another method of semi-permanently shortening theaccordion section [30] (to fit shallower kitchen sinks) is to immersesaid section in a pot of boiling water for thirty to sixty seconds, thenlift it up from the boiling water in safety. Using a thong grabber andoven gloves, compressed both ends [31] and [32] to a desired length, andrun it in cold water to semi-permanently set the accordion section [30].To restore to original length, simply boil it again, and it willauto-expand. Then pick the unit up and immerse it in cool water to set.

The plug housing [20] is compatible with essentially all conventionalsink and provides a plug housing seal [22] in the sink drain. The plughousing [20], the plug extension tube [47], the accordion section [30],the intake extension tube [48], and the intake [40], are all made ofdurable polypropylene material in varying thickness and hardness. Theattached plug housing seal [22] is preferably made of TPE (thermoplasticelastomeric) synthetic rubber, silicone or other material that createsan air or liquid tight flexible seal when the lower end of the plughousing [20] and plug sealing member [22] in place into the sink drain.Also, referring to FIG. 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, to make the portable sink draindiverter [10] of the present invention [110] air and liquid tight, bothrectangular tube grooves seen in the intake rectangular groove [46] andthe plug housing rectangular groove [45] each accommodates a rectangularsealing O-ring [50].

FIGS. 6A, 6D, and 7 depict a second preferred embodiment of thecommercial portable sink drain diverter of the present invention [110]for large sinks being used in many commercial establishments such asrestaurants, hospital cafeterias, lodges, rest homes, nursing homes, andassisted living facilities, which is the commercial version of theportable sink drain diverter of the present invention [110].

The commercial portable sink drain diverter of the present invention[110] includes a plug housing [20], a plug housing extension tube [47],an accordion-like section [30], an intake extension tube [48], and anintake [40]. These may be the same plug housing [20], accordion-likesection [30], and intake [40] used in the residential portable sinkdrain diverter of the present invention [10] or said components may bemade of heavier duty materials and scaled-up dimensions, to accommodatemore liquid flow-rate volumes. If they are the same components, a usermay buy the larger commercial unit [110] and be acquiring theresidential unit [10] inherent with the purchase.

FIGS. 6B and 6C depict the two extension tubes [47 and 48] that areneeded for the larger unit [110]. Depending upon the size of the sinkbasin and the number of dishes that need to be cleaned, either an intakeextension tube [48] positioned between the intake [40] and the accordionsection [30], or a plug housing extension tube [47] positioned betweenthe plug housing [20] and the accordion section [30]. In mostapplications both extension tubes [47 and 48] may be needed.

The larger unit [110] may tend to be buoyant and need to be secured tothe sink basin. This may be accomplished in any of a number of ways; (1)by use of magnets secured to the accordion section [30] or the plughousing extension tube [47], (2) by use of weights secured to theaccordion section [30] or the plug extension tube [47] or (3) by meansof heavier materials for the accordion section [30] or the plugextension tube [47].

Upon receipt of the commercial version of portable sink drain diverterof the present invention [110], the user will see the unit disassembledinto five separate and distinct parts seen in FIG. 7, the intake [40](including passages for liquid [42] and air [44]), the intake extensiontube [48], the accordion section [30], the plug extension tube [47], andthe plug housing [20] with attached plug housing seal [22].

The portable sink drain diverters [10 and 110] of the present inventionare preferably made of the highest quality plastic or rust-proof metalmaterials to withstand high boiling temperatures that may be wanted forcleaning or sanitizing the device. The current materials of choice areheavy-duty polypropylene and TPE which are high-end materials engineeredfor long-lasting durability. The current residential and commercialversion portable sink drain diverter of the present invention is made ofa high temperature-resistant polypropylene and TPE material(thermoplastic, polymer elastomer), can withstand boiling water andmachine dishwasher temperature (used during optional unit sanitation).The material is recyclable and BPA-Free.

BPA stands for “bisphenol A”. BPA is an industrial chemical that hasbeen used to make certain plastics and resins since the 1960s. Inparticular, BPA is found in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. TheNational Toxicology Program at the Department of Health and HumanServices says it has “some concern” about the possible health effects ofBPA on the brain, behavior and prostate gland of fetuses, infants andchildren.

Seeking out BPA-free products may not always be easy to do, of course.Some manufacturers label their products as BPA-free. If a product isn'tlabeled, keep in mind that most aluminum cans or bottles have liningsthat contain BPA, while steel bottles or cans don't. Polycarbonateplastic is generally hard, clear, lightweight plastic. It often has theNo. 7 recycling symbol on the bottom.

The polypropylene of choice also has a memory behavior when it was givena pressure perturbation. The necked material may also be treated whilenecked to instill a memory into the material to cause the material toretract (see for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,122 (Morman).

Throughout this application, various patents and ProvisionalApplications are referenced by number and inventor. The disclosures ofthese documents in their entireties are hereby incorporated by referenceinto this specification in order to more fully describe the state of theart to which this invention pertains.

It is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations ofthe portable sink drain diverter of the present invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art in light of the disclosure herein.It is intended that the metes and bounds of the present invention bedetermined by the appended claims rather than by the language of theabove specification, and that all such alternatives, modifications, andvariations which form a conjointly cooperative equivalent are intendedto be included within the spirit and scope of these claims.

PARTS LIST

-   10. Residential Portable Sink Drain Diverter-   20. Plug Housing-   22. Plug Housing Seal-   30. Accordion-   31. 1^(st) Accordion Long Connector End-   32. 2^(nd) Accordion Short Connector End-   40. Intake-   42. Water Intake Passages-   44. Air Intake Passages-   45. Plug Housing Rectangular Groove-   46. Intake Rectangular Groove-   47. Plug Housing Extension Tube-   48. Intake Extension Tube-   50. Rectangular O-Ring-   110. Commercial Portable Sink Drain Diverter

I claim:
 1. A sink drain diverter device, comprising; an intake having aplurality of fluid intake passages, said fluid inlet passagesmaintaining fluid flow through said intake, at least one of saidplurality of fluid intake passages for air flow, at least a second ofsaid plurality of intake passages being for liquid flow, a flexibleconnector securely sealing and connecting said intake to said plughousing; and a plug housing for sealing said sink drain diverter deviceto a sink basin; whereby, said sink drain diverter device, in use,maintains water level in said sink basin by channeling water throughsaid fluid intake passages, through said flexible connector and intosaid sink drain.
 2. The sink drain diverter device of claim 1, furthercomprising an extension, said extension being disposed between saidintake and said flexible connector.
 3. The sink drain diverter device ofclaim 1, further comprising an extension, said extension being disposedbetween said plug housing and said flexible connector.
 4. The sink draindiverter device of claim 1, further comprising a first extensiondisposed between said intake and said flexible connector, and a secondextension disposed between said plug housing and said flexibleconnector.
 5. The sink drain diverter device of claim 1, wherein sealingfor the attached plug housing is made of thermoplastic elastomericsynthetic rubber, silicone or other material that creates an air orliquid tight flexible seal when the lower end of the plug housing issecured to said sink basin.
 6. The sink drain diverter device of claim1, wherein said diverter is made of materials that may when boiled,dents are removed therefrom.
 7. The sink drain diverter device of claim1, wherein said diverter device enables an adult to bath an infant orpet in a sink basin.
 8. The sink drain diverter device of claim 1,wherein said diverter device preserves our dwindling supply of drinkingwater and hastens the final dishwashing cleaning process.
 9. The sinkdrain diverter device, comprising; an intake having at least one liquidintake passage, said intake also including at least one air intakepassage, said at least one air intake passage being useful formaintaining liquid flow through said at least one liquid intake passage;a flexible connector securely sealing and connecting said flexibleconector to said plug extension; and a plug housing for sealing saidsink drain diverter device to a sink basin; whereby, said sink draindiverter device, in use, maintains water level in said sink basin bychanneling water through said fluid intake passages, through saidflexible connector and into said sink drain.
 10. The sink drain diverterdevice of claim 9, further comprising an extension, said extension beingdisposed between said intake and said flexible connector.
 11. The sinkdrain diverter device of claim 9, further comprising an extension, saidextension being disposed between said plug housing and said flexibleconnector.
 12. The sink drain diverter device of claim 9, furthercomprising a first extension disposed between said intake and saidflexible connector, and a second extension disposed between said plughousing and said flexible connector.
 13. The sink drain diverter deviceof claim 9, wherein sealing for the attached plug housing is made ofthermoplastic elastomeric synthetic rubber, silicone or other materialthat creates an air or liquid tight flexible seal when the lower end ofthe plug housing is secured to said sink basin.
 14. The sink draindiverter device of claim 9, wherein said diverter is made of materialsthat may when boiled, dents are removed therefrom.
 15. The sink draindiverter device of claim 9, wherein said diverter device enables anadult to bath an infant or pet in a sink basin.
 16. The sink draindiverter device of claim 9, wherein said diverter device preserves ourdwindling supply of drinking water and hastens the final dishwashingcleaning process.
 17. The sink drain diverter device, comprising; anintake having at least one liquid intake passage, said intake alsoincluding at least one air intake passage, said at least one air intakepassage being useful for maintaining liquid flow through said at leastone liquid intake passage; a plug housing for sealing said sink draindiverter device to a sink basin; a flexible connector securely sealingand connecting said intake to said plug housing; a first extensiondisposed between said intake and said flexible connector; and a secondextension disposed between said plug housing and said flexibleconnector; whereby, said sink drain diverter device, in use, maintainswater level in said sink basin by channeling water through said fluidintake passages, through said flexible connector, through said first andsecond extension and into said sink drain.
 18. The sink drain diverterdevice of claim 17, further comprising a first extension disposedbetween said intake and said flexible connector, and a second extensiondisposed between said plug housing and said flexible connector.
 19. Thesink drain diverter device of claim 17, wherein sealing for the attachedplug housing is made of thermoplastic elastomeric synthetic rubber,silicone or other material that creates an air or liquid tight flexibleseal when the lower end of the plug housing is secured to said sinkbasin.